In this study, the performance of the Rennies Provident Fund's management strategy is reviewed. The study aims to determine whether the Fund's management strategy created or destroyed shareholder value over the past 17- year period of its existence up to and including the 2004 financial year. First, the Rennies Provident Fund's performance is reviewed against its internally set performance objective of returning CPI (consumer price index) + 3% to its members. Secondly, the Fund's performance is compared to that of similar pension funds. Thirdly, the performance objective that the Fund has set itself is critiqued against the performance objectives of other pension funds. Finally, the value-based performance measurement approach is applied to the fund to determine whether shareholder value has been created or destroyed in absolute money terms during the 2003 financial year. This study finds that the Rennies Provident Fund has on average achieved the required internally set benchmark of returning CPI + 3% over the 17-year period of its existence. However, when the performance of the Fund is compared to available data for similar funds over a 12-year period, this study finds that the Rennies Provident Fund performed poorly. Further, this study also finds that in absolute monetary terms, the Rennies Provident Fund destroyed shareholder value over the 17-year review period. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007.

Abstract This study used policy argument analysis method to analyze pension policy development in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, based on the perspective of simple democratic model to discuss the influence of democratization¡¦s influence on East-Asia social welfare policy. The conclusion of this study shows that global economic competition help to promote the pension systems that encourage workfare. The research result also meets to those former researches conclusions of East Asian Productivtist Welfare Regime. In the other hand, due to highly politic at party competition and vivid development of civil society, however, governments of Taiwan and Singapore have compromised to consolidate and increase their pension policies. Conversely, Hong Kong, due to politics-led government, there was the most unequal distributing condition in its pension policy. In the cases of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, we have found the influence of democratic development on welfare policy in a globalization era is meaningful. According to the conclusion of this research, democratic development should be define as a key factor of welfare regime typology in East Asia, to differentiate divergent types of states of East Asian productivitist regime. And two key points of democratization¡¦s influence in East Asia should be noticed: 1. Legal freedom of expression and publication can make social welfare issues to be disputatious in the civil society. 2. Party competition will lead social security plans to be realized, because of the desires of politicians to win votes. Keywords: simple democratic model, pension system, provident fund, East-Asia welfare regime.

新加坡的中央公積金制度，曾被人稱之爲新加坡經濟起飛的秘密武器，它對於新加坡人民生活的保障、社會的穩定、經濟和社會的發展都起著十分重要的作用。新加坡中央公積金制度乃政府立法强制實行的個人儲蓄計畫，其最初目的是為確保勞工能備有足夠的養老金，有尊嚴地應付退休生活。經過五十多年的實踐，在促進了國家的發展的同時，該制度也成爲一種全面性的社會保險制度，可以滿足人們退休、購房、醫療保健、教育及投資等具有創意的制度，其良性循環正顯示出很强的生命力。不斷改革完善、創新的新加坡中央公積金制度爲許多國家進行社會保障制度改革提供了很好的思路和富有價值的借鑒。 根據本研究結果發現，嚴格規範、富有成效的基金管理是新加坡中央公積金制度成功運行的重要保障。爲此，新加坡政府建立了一整套較成熟的法律規範，對整個制度的運行過程實施嚴格周密的法律監督與管理。此外，在基金的投資運用方面：以個人而言，中央公積金參與者在個人投資意願上並不高，大多數仍偏好將帳戶金額留置，賺取政府給予之帶有最低保障收益率的利息，即使採取自主投資者，仍以尋求低風險的保險商品為主；以政府而言，因適逢全球性的市場低利率水準，因此讓新加坡公積金局負責運用之基金部分的報酬率，僅有最低保障利率之水準。 綜觀之，新加坡中央公積金制度在管理方面井井有條，頗為健全且富有創新，然而，其投資運用方面卻顯得績效不彰，有待改善。新加坡中央公積金制度雖不是完美的制度，但無論如何，其參考及借鑒的價值是一直得到肯定。 / Singapore's Central Provident Fund (CPF) Scheme, which has been regarded as Singapore's secret weapon for its economic takeoff, plays very important role in Singapore's security, social stability, economic and social development. As a compulsory savings scheme, CPF ensured that workers could support themselves with dignity in retirement. Over the years, CPF has also been used to accelerate national growth. To meet the population's needs in housing, healthcare, education, family protection and investment, several innovative schemes were introduced over the last five decades. Its virtuous circle is showing strong vitality. Constantly reforming and perfecting innovation of Singapore’s CPF Scheme also provides a good ideas and valuable lessons for many countries to reform their social security system. In this study, Singapore's CPF Scheme has an effective fund management with strictly relative act, an importantly safeguard to lead it to success. In this, the Singapore Government has established one whole set mature legal act, to ensure an efficient implementation of entire process under close legal supervision and management. In addition, about fund investment: for individual, it seems like Singapore’s CPF Scheme’s members are not high in individual investment wish, majority still by leave fund to their own account to earns lowest minimum returns interest rate paid by the government, even for independent investors, they most sought the low-risk and insured’s investment products; for the government, as it meet the global market low interest rate standard period, therefore Singapore's Central Provident Fund Board be responsible for fund of part the utilization return rate, only has standard of the lowest safeguard interest rate. Finally, in management aspect, Singapore's CPF Scheme has been successful at implementation with strictly legal criteria and it also more innovation, however, in investment aspect, its achievements is not so clear, still need some necessary improvements. On balance, the CPF scheme, although not perfect, is worthy of consideration for other countries.

Based on analyzing the macro and micro factors in Singapore¡¦s social welfare policy, this thesis proposes the frame work of ¡§state corporatism¡¨ to explain Singapore¡¦s social welfare policy. Since 1959 Singapore be independent from Britain, Lee Kuan Yew had led the PAP government in an authoritarian style and promoted a paternal social welfare. The core ideas of Singapore¡¦s social welfare policy, voluntarism and communitarianism, strongly related to the personal ideology of Lee Kuan Yew and the confucian society in Singapore. In the macro background of nation¡¦s level, we can divide the society into the subgroups as ethnic groups, opposition parties, class groups and voluntary welfare organizations (VWOs). These four groups worked through the four phrases in Singapore¡¦s social welfare policy : pre-corporatism period, exclusive corporatism period, inclusive corporatism period and extrinsic corporatism period. The whole presentation of Singapore¡¦s social welfare policy can be observed from their negotiation, interaction and bargaining with the government. This thesis conludes that the strategy of Singapore¡¦s social welfare policy is ¡§using greater quantity and quality of voluntarianism to fill up the retreat of state¡¨. Therefore in the history of Singapore¡¦s social welfare policy, when comparing to the other social groups, the extent of VWOs corporating with the government was much greater than the others and their influential power in social welfare policy during these four periods turned from weak to moderate, and strong eventually.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Fidentia became an active player in the South African financial services industry in 2005, only a few years since its inception. This was achieved through aggressive take-overs and a favourable public image boosted by employing known sports personalities and sponsorships of various sports teams, charities and other events. The Fidentia group seemed to go from strength to strength under the leadership of Mr. Arthur Brown assisted by his senior management team of which none more prominent than Mr. Graham Maddock. The group’s main business is Fidentia Asset Management (FAM) which, during 2003 and 2004, secured two of the biggest clients in Fidentia’s history. In 2003 the Transport Education Training Authority (TETA) invested R200,3 million and R1,2 billion of the Mineworkers Provident Fund was placed under its’ management in 2004. The Fidentia group was placed under final curatorship on 27 March 2007, based on reports by the then provisional curators and the Financial Services Board which claimed that their inspectors could not trace R680 million of almost R2 billion under the management of FAM. The analysis of the unfolding Fidentia case will show that without proper strategic planning and management, as well as adherence to suggestions on good corporate governance stakeholders’ risk exposure can be increased. NOTE: The information available till end August was analysed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Fidentia was teen 2005 ‘n aktiewe speler in die Suid-Afrikaanse finansiële dienste industrie, slegs ‘n paar jaar nadat dit gestig is. Dit is bereik deur aggresiewe oornames en ‘n publieke beeld wat versterk is deur bekende sportpersoonlikhede aan te stel en verskeie sportspanne, liefdadigheidsorganisasies en ander gebeurlikhede te borg. Die Fidentia groep het skynbaar van krag tot krag gegaan onder die leierskap van Mnr. Arthur Brown, ondersteun deur sy senior bestuurspan waarvan niemand meer prominent as Mnr. Graham Maddock. Die groep se hoofbesigheid is Fidentia Asset Management (FAM) wat gedurende 2003 tot 2004 twee van die grootste kliënte in Fidentia se geskiedenis verseker het. Gedurende 2003 het die “Transport Education Training Authority (TETA)” R200,3 miljoen by FAM belê en R1,2 biljoen van die “Mineworkers Provident Fund” is in 2004 onder FAM se bestuur geplaas. Die Fidentia group is op 27 Maart 2007 onder finale kuratorskap geplaas gebasseer op verslae deur die destydse voorlopige kurators en die Finansiële Dienste Raad wat beweer het dat hul inspekteure nie R680 miljoen van die amper R2 biljoen onder FAM se bestuur kon opspoor nie. Die analise van die Fidentia saak soos dit ontvou, sal wys dat sonder behoorlike strategiese beplanning en bestuur, asook die voldoening aan voorstelle van goeie korporatiewe bestuur belanghebbendes se blootstelling aan risiko kan verhoog. NOTA: Die inligting beskikbaar tot einde Augustus 2007 is ontleed.

South Africa’s labour legislation has recently undergone momentous changes, in particular, the changes relating to section 198B of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) 66 of 1995. These amendments have proven to be more contentious than any other changes implemented by government in past years. The purpose of this study is to examine and outline the specific implications that the amendments to legislation regarding fixed-term contracts have on a pension and provident fund company in Gauteng, South Africa. This research will therefore highlight the implications (positive and negative) concerning the changes to section 198B on a pension and provident fund organisation in Gauteng, South Africa. The qualitative investigatory study was conducted with six employees of a pension and provident fund company which makes use of fixed term contract employees, until data saturation was reached. The data was collected by means of individual in depth interviews. The results of the study clearly indicate that the changes to section 198B will have both negative and positive implications. Some of the negative implications are that organisation have had to incur increased employment costs as a result of having to provide equal benefits and conditions of employment to all fixed term contract employees. Organisations now have to review the necessity of deploying fixed term contracts and where required to do away with such contracts. The implication here is that, the employment flexibility which organisations previously had has now been removed. Some of the positive implications are that, a few employees who had been on fixed term contracts were employed on a permanent basis after the changes came into effect. Employees experienced greater job security and were offered much needed benefits such as medical aid, pension and disability benefits. Permanent and fixed term contract employees are now treated equally. Part-time employees have better job security and the enhanced ability to enforce statutory rights in terms of equal treatment in employment by evoking enforcement mechanisms such as the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), labour courts and bargaining councils with jurisdiction to arbitrate matters. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)